Islamic Culture & Philosophy: African Perspective on Slavery
BLACOLOGY
NET-INFO RESEARCH
ISLAMIC CULTURE AND PHILOSOPHY
SCHOLARLY ARTICLES:
AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE ON ISLAMIC SLAVERY
Mauritania Sudan
05-10-00
BY PROF. WALTER CROSS
SUMMITED TO: DR. SULAYMAN NYANG
AFRICANSTUDIESPh.D.HOWARDUNIVERSITY
BLACOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, BRDIINC@ AOL .COM, FT. WASHINGTON, MD20744
SLAVERY MUST END NOW!
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION3
II. SCHOLARLY ARTICLE4
III. BLACOLOGICAL ANALYSIS6
IV. DEFINITIONS11
V. REFERENCES13
INTRODUCTION
The Net-Info Research is a collection of information gathered for a subject or interest. This information is received from the Internet. It consists of documents acquired while scanning the Internet for information pertaining to class assignments, topics or individual interest. This research is primarily the writings, articles, and materials of the authors on their web pages. These articles are the facts and works of those who have research the subjects. These articles, writings, and materials assist or provide knowledge and documentation on subjects or topics that are of interest to Prof. Walter Cross CEO/President of The Blacology Research and Development Institute Inc. (A Cultural Science) and a candidate for Ph. D. in African Studies at HowardUniversity. This Net-Info Research is a review of a scholarly article on,"THE AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE ON ISLAMIC SLAVERY", an assignment that was given in the class," Islamic Culture and Philosophy", instructed by Dr. Sulayman Nyang in the Spring Semester of 2000. The assignment was to provide an article on aspects of Islamic Culture and Philosophy. As a Blacological Cultural Scientist, I selected this article because it is my obligation as a Black/African and Blacologist to speak out against slavery wherever it exists.
In the establishment of the Cultural Science Blacology, one may be able to distinguish a Blacological Research or Blacology by the capitalization of the first letter of all words that are associated with Blacology (i.e. Black People, Black Culture, Black Woman, Black Man, Black Youth, Blacology, and Blacological etc). It is done to give honor, respect, and importance to these words. In the Euro -Centric Culture, Black People have been taught to hate everything Black and African. Black People had been taught to hate themselves. The Cultural Science of Blacology is to undo this type of self-hatred by giving importance to all that is Black and African. So then, it is proper and fitting to capitalize the first letter in all words that are of Black/African Culture. This is also a way to acknowledge and identify a Blacological Research and the Interdisciplinary Cultural Science of Blacology. Blacology may also consist of it's own Cultural Linguistics or Ebonics. In addition, it is not restricted to the Euro-centric Language Arts. This give Blacology it's own significant identifiable writing form. Net-Info Research is a method of utilizing the Internet information to support academic studies. This Net-info Research is an article on Black/Africans and Islamic Slavery. This is a brief analysis on the enslavement of Black/Africans to Islamic Culture and Philosophy in Mauritania and Sudan. See your Internet address provided for you on the reference page for a more detail informative update.
- SCHOLARLY ARTICLE
This article appeared in the New York weekly The City Sun March 22, 1995
SORROW AND SHAME:
BRUTAL NORTH AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
IGNORED AND DENIED
By Samuel Cotton;An African Perspective
"The African never wanted anything to do with the Arab, because he is a slave trader and we have never forgiven him for the slave trade," said Benedict Lagu, the soft spoken and friendly son of the former Vice President of the Republic of Sudan (1978 to 1980). "The Arab will always try to enslave people because it is in his culture to enslave people. The Arab is an expansionist, he will never be satisfied with just the North of Sudan. In reality, he will not be satisfied until the whole world worships Islam.
This is the view of the whole Arab world, they are all fighting against the Southern Sudan, they are all pouring money into Sudan. Iran, Syria, Libya and Egypt-- all of the Arab countries are of one mind. They all support Sudan, so that it can crush the South. They want to enslave the entire south and use its resources. Through the South of Sudan they can move into all of Africa. It is the gateway." Simon Deng, the Minister of Information for the Southern Sudanese Community in America added, "To the Arab, the African is born to be his slave. It does not matter that some have the same skin color as you, color is not the issue here, they consider themselves Arabs. The issue is the mind and the belief of the people and this is a problem that involves two things--race and
religion."
They consider all the Southern Sudanese as slaves. When they look at you they say "Abit" which means slave, because if you are non-Muslim and Black you are fit to be a slave." Deng shifts and leans back in his chair. He seems to be looking at me from some distant place and gathering himself. "Arabs are not considered part of Africa," states Deng. "Egypt is not Africa because it is the mother of the Arabs." Deng's perspectives, the enmity that exists between the Arab and the Black African, and the belief systems that say Black Africans are inferior and born to serve the Arab are supported by the historical
narrative.
Historically, we know that the Arabs, English, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Africans, Catholics and Jews at one time or another participated in the slave trade. Even the American Indian participated in the slave trade. "All of the five civilized Indian nations were Black slave owners and slave traders" says Claude Anderson the author of Black Labor, White Wealth. "Worse, all of these Indian Nations supported and fought on the side of the South in the Civil War in fear of losing their Black slaves."
These are historical realities that are part of the African past and cannot be changed. However, the saga of the Arab slave trader and his relationship with the Black African transcends time. The Arab Moslems were "[O]ne of the first and oldest religious enslavers of Black Africans" says Anderson. " They began regular military invasions into
East and West Africa around 700 A.D. By 1000 A.D., Moslems routinely combined their commercial trade with spreading the Islamic faith in Black African communities. Medieval Moslems considered Black Africans to be primitive and especially suited for enslavement."
"Moslems from the Middle East have enslaved and sold into North African slave markets no less than one million Black Africans every 100 years, for the past 1,000 years" states David Brian Davis, in Slavery And Human Progress. This practice represents no less than 10 million Blacks enslaved and exploited by one group alone. Ironically, most Black African countries converted to the Islamic faith during the 14th century. The Arabs' continuous enslavement of Blacks, therefore, must be driven by factors other than Blacks' religious faith." What are these factors? Well, as in the case of the present day Mauritanians and the Sudanese, enslavement is not for the advancement of the Islam. This we know because the Law of Islam says that slaves taken in a holy war are to be released after conversion. However, this does not occur in Mauritania or the Sudan, because after the slaves convert, the Black Muslims remain enslaved. Ergo, the enslavement of Black Africans is the manifestation of an ancient racial belief system. The belief that the Black African is born to be the slave of the Arab.
"Since color was [and is] the decisive factor in slavery, it was important to know who was and was not a member of the Black race. Moors were not classified as members of the Black race. In northwest Africa, the offspring of Blacks, White Berbers and Arabs became known as Moors . . . Few identified with West African Blacks, who lived south of the Sahara, states Anderson. "However, the few Moors who were Black, with the aid of some Islamic converts, pushed the doors to West Africa's natural and human capital wide open."
To satisfy their rapacious appetites, Arab expansionists adopted specific strategies. With the Black Moors and Islamic converts, the Arabs began their penetration of Africa. Often they exerted religious pressure and continually fostered holy wars that weakened the great West African empires" posits Claude Anderson. "Arabs labeled Black Africans pagans, then pressured them to disavow their own West African culture and practice of ancestor worship and to accept instead, Arabic culture based in the Islamic religion. This cultural and religious conversion undermined Black's African heritage and broad sense of a Black community. Moreover, the religious conversion to the Islamic faith gave Arabs nearly unrestricted access to West African societies and wealth." This Arab approach to Africa and Black Africans continues down to this day and it is against this paradigm that the Mauritanians and the Sudanese struggle.
- BLACOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Blacologically speaking, this article agrees with Black scholars that Islam was established in Black/Africa since before the 700's. It also verifies the subjugation of Black/African to Islamic philosophy and culture as early as the 500's or the 6th Century of the Common Era. This article even pre-dates the Islamic deculturation and dehumanization of Black/African Culture. Prior to the 4th or the 300's Black/Africans have submitted to Moslem or Arabic Culture.
Islam has influenced the thinking of Black/Africans for over 1300 years. This is the reason for why Islam is associated with the enslavement of Black People on the African Continent. When a Religion has been around for so long it becomes the mechanism by which the environment is controlled. Those who come in contact with Islam are subject to the rules and regulations of Islam. Islam has become the justice or injustice by which people are judged or condemned. If there is slavery in an Islamic environment and Islam does not put an end to slavery then, Islam is responsible for perpetuating the injustice and dehumanization of slavery.
Islam is not wrongly associated with slavery Islam is silent while slavery is conducted in it's environment. This can be applied to the Christianity or any religion that does not stamp out slavery or any dehumanizing practice that turn people into victims of injustice. If the Christians are guilty of White Supremacy Racism that exists within their environments or countries, one cannot be wrong when associating Islam to slavery in Mauritania and Sudan. Islam has been in Africa since before the 6th Century. Islam has been in Africa for so long it parades as an African Religion and Culture. Although Islam has its start in Africa it is not own and operated by the Black/African Culture. Islam is functioning as though only Muslims should be in control of Black/Africa. Muslims act as though they are superior to Black/Africans.
Islamization has to the destruction of the Black Civilization by condemning Black/African Culture, according Dr. Chancellor Williams in his book, "The Destruction of the Black Civilization". Arab Muslims act as though they the only way to submit to God is by joining Islam. Anyone can submit to God, one does not have to be an Arab or practice Islam. Black/African Culture already had submitted to the Creator long before Islam got its birth in Africa.
Black/Africans must begin to acknowledge for themselves, what good is Islam doing for them. They must begin to reject the conversion of Islam as a religion and begin the practice of their own traditional culture and religion. Why must Black/Africans continue with this blind of Islam when it does not free them from the bondage of Arab and Berber Muslims? Islam does not provide any brother hood or religion impunity form the treachery of slavery by their so-called Muslim associates.
Islam only serves as a mechanism to perpetuate the on going slavery of Black/Africans in North and in the Sudan and Mauritania. What good is Islam when it does not allow for Black/Africans in North America and the Diaspora the freedom to stand against the systematical oppression of their people in North Africa. It is not enough to say that those who are committing this injustice are not Muslim, nor do they practice Islam. It is not enough to just denounce them as Muslims or Islamic.
As long as pray to Allah and declare themselves as Muslims and practice Islam. They are who they say they are. You can not deny them the right to be Islamic. But you can make them live up to the Quran. Arabization and Islamization is a duality one in the same. As Christians belief in the Holy Trinity, the Muslims belief in duality of Arabs and Islam. If you are not of Arabic Culture and Islamic Religion you are not considered to be a true Muslim. This seems to be the practice of those who finance and operate Islam. You must go through this duality in order to a true Muslim.
If the Quran justifies this practice then, it is time for the up date and evolution of the Quran. This is a practice (slavery) that is not expectable in the age of modernity. If Islam is to be a religion of righteousness then it is time to practice justice. Slavery is torture that must be stopped. There is no reason for Muslims to practice this ill will on anyone. Everyone has the right to be paid for their services. If you can pay for the services of others then do it yourself. Although this not the issue, the issue is freedom, everyone has a humane right to be free. It is up to every human being to see that anyone or any government is not denying this right. Until Islam does something about this slavery under its watch in so-called Islamic countries then it should be rightfully called Islamic Slavery and associated with Islam.
It appears that the only way to put an end to this slavery is to announce the discontinuation of the practice by Black/African People in Africa and the Diaspora. To conduct a boycott of Islam and its practice until the slavery in Sudan and Mauritania has ceased. In addition, begin the practice of traditional Black/African Culture and Religion as a spiritual and conversion. This should also be exercised on the Christian Religion as well. Black/African People do not have to be Islamic receive the blessings of the Creator.
This is an opportunity for Black/African to return to the tradition of their Ancestors. We do not have to be pons in the designs of other cultures and religions. The Creator has blessed Black/African Culture with a rich and glorious heritage one that would be proud to receive the loyalty and honor of its own people. If Black/African People returned to their rightful nature the Creator would be pour out a blessing that would be greater than that which Black/Africans have received thus far.
It has been said, that the Black Civilization lasted for 17 thousand years. If the Black/Africans left Islam and the oppressor religion to return the gifts that The Creator has given them their blessings would be tenfold the Great Dynasties of the past. As Black/African People we must began to take a look at what we are doing to place ourselves in these predicaments. It is part our fault that we finding ourselves in the situation that we are in.
The reason why we are in this and subjugation and second class citizenship is because we keep depending on others to do for us what we could do for ourselves. God blessed us with a gift and we are not using our gift. What is wrong with us? It is apparent we have a problem. Do we really believe in God or Allah like we say we do? Or, do we believe in those who have oppressed us? It is time for Black/African People to do for themselves. It is time for us to use the gift that the Creator/God/Allah has given us. We have a culture let us make from our culture a religion that reflects the struggle of our people and heritage that is ours.
There is a story in the Bible about a man Joseph. Joseph was the gift that God gave to the Children of Israel. This gift was given to Israel for the times of seven years of prosperity and seven years of famine. To make a long story short, Joseph's brothers were jealous of the favor their father showed toward Joseph and sold him into slavery. They told their father," he had been eaten by the lions". This broke the father's heart. Joseph grew in to a very intelligent and gifted man. The king of heard of the gifts and talents of Joseph and made Joseph a top man in his cabinet.